Books like 'Return'
Readers who enjoyed Return by John O'Brien also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi horror supernatural action / adventure monsters/creatures zombies apocalyptic post-apocalyptic dystopia war
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Sanctum by Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWill Any Sanctuary Stand? With both the Naked Horde and the Survivor Army destroyed, Zed and Murphy make their preparations and head to College Station to do their small part in salvaging humanity’s future. But the post-virus world isn’t kind to humans or their plans and nothing they find on their journey is what they expected... -
The End by Charlie Higson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe end is coming.The sickness struck everyone sixteen and older. First it twisted their minds; next it ravaged their bodies. Now the sickos—crazed and hungry for young flesh—are gathered in the center of London, lying in wait.It’s time for all of the survivors—kids spread out across the city—to unite...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure book coming-of-age -
The Hunted by Charlie Higson
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Hunted is Charlie Higson's sixth terrifying installment in the thrilling The Enemy series. The sickness struck everyone over fourteen. First it twisted their minds. Next it ravaged their bodies. Now they roam the streets - Crazed and hungry The others had promised that the countryside would be safer than the city. They were wrong... -
The Bones of Valhalla by Sam Sisavath
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFOR EVERY NIGHT, THERE IS A NEW DAWN.One night. That was all it took for the world to be forever changed. Creatures that once lived in the shadows rose, spreading like a plague across the globe, swallowing whole cities and collapsing unprepared governments. Survivors call it The Purge...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure adult -
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Extinction War by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe seventh and never-before-published book in USA Today bestselling Nicholas Sansbury Smith's propulsive post-apocalyptic series about a soldier's mission to save the world.An army advances.. -
The Fear by Charlie Higson
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe sickness struck everyone sixteen and over. Mothers and fathers, older brothers, sisters, and best friends. No one escaped its touch. And now children across London are being hunted by ferocious grown-ups who are hungry, bloodthirsty, and not giving up... -
Bleed by Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSurvive the infection! Survive the Infected! Zed and Murphy are trying to find their surviving friends to finally get out of Austin and head west to safety, away from the zombie hordes. But trouble, their perpetual companion, dogs them at every turn as they discover that infected humans aren’t the only source of mortal danger... -
The Fallen by Charlie Higson
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsThe Fallen by Charlie Higson is the fifth awesome book in The Enemy series. First the sickness rotted the adults' minds. Then their bodies. Now they stalk the streets, hunting human flesh. The Holloway crew are survivors. They've fought their way across London and made it to the Natural History Museum alive - just. But the fight will never end while the Enemy lives, unless there's another way.. -
City of Stin by Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsKill the infection! Kill the Infected! In the aftermath of the battle for Monk’s Island, Murphy has been nursing Zed back to health in a remote house at the west end of the lake. But every day they see helicopters cross the sky, heading south and then back north again.Zed wonders if the helicopters are proof that not all civilization has collapsed...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure adult audiobook -
Grind by Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTime for Revenge It’s time for revenge. Zed’s animosity toward Mark has been simmering through the deaths of too many of his friends. Zed realizes he can no longer pretend he’s able to take the high road and rise above his hate. He sets out to track the horde of naked Whites in order to find Mark and kill him.Of course, none of Zed’s schemes work out as planned...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure adult audiobook -
Torrent by Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSurvive the infection! Survive the Infected! Following his none-too-soon reunion with his friends at the safe house, Zed is hoping things can finally fall into a stable routine, but in post-virus Austin, things are far from stable... -
Execution by Alexander Gordon Smith
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe whole world has become a prison, and Alfred Furnace is its master. Monsters rule the streets, beasts of pure fury that leave nothing but murder and madness in their wake. Those who do not die are turned, becoming slaves to Furnace's reign of cruelty. It is a war to end all wars, one that will leave the planet in ruins. I am a monster too. I am one of Alfred Furnace's children... -
The Ruins 4 by T.W. Piperbrook
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEscape at what cost? Trapped in a new horror, the survivors struggle to regain their freedom... -
The Apocalypse War by Peter Meredith
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Action-Packed Conclusion to the Undead World Series!The people of the Estes Valley have found their peace destroyed as they are attacked by the single greatest army left in the world. Not only do they have to contend with an army of men equipped with the latest hi-tech military gear, they also have to battle a horde of undead half a million strong...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military post-apocalyptic zombies action-adventure adult audiobook -
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Fire & Ash by Jonathan Maberry
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIn the gripping conclusion to the action-packed standard bearer (Booklist) of zombie series, the threat of death is given new life.Benny Imura and his friends have found the jet and Sanctuary, but neither is what they expected. Instead of a refuge, Sanctuary is a hospice, and the soldiers who flew the plane seem to be little more than bureaucrats who have given up hope for humanity's future... -
The Fires of Atlantis by Sam Sisavath
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsSeparated but not out of the fight.Gaby has been captured by a familiar figure from her past. Some might take captivity lying down, but they aren't Gaby.Will and Danny are close on Gaby's trail, but their rescue mission is detoured in a city under siege by a very dangerous new breed of ghouls. The reunited ex-Army Rangers will face their toughest fight yet if they want to get out alive...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure adult -
Three Parts Dead by Glynn James, Michael Stephen Fuchs
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA world fallen - under a plague of seven billion walking deadA tiny island nation - the last refuge of the livingOne team - of the world's most elite special operatorsThe dead, these heroes, humanity's last hope, all have...Alpha team, the world's best and last surviving Tier-1 operators, are adrift on Lake Michigan - and fast drifting into what looks like a damned hostile shoreline... -
Among Monsters by Jamie McGuire
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBeing thirteen has pitfalls of its own, but growing up has never been this hard. Jenna had promised her mother that if the worst happened during her dad’s weekend, they would meet at Red Hill Ranch...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dark dystopia post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure audiobook -
Extinction End by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsHope rises in the hearts of those still left standing, but safety seems to be just an illusion. In a single night of shattering terror, Plum Island is destroyed, and key scientist Dr. Kate Lovato is abducted.The end has arrived...Almost seven weeks have passed since the Hemorrhage Virus ravaged the world...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military post-apocalyptic suspense war zombies action-adventure -
Horde by Ann Aguirre
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsThe epic conclusion to the USA Today bestselling trilogy.The horde is coming.Salvation is surrounded, monsters at the gates, and this time, they're not going away. When Deuce, Fade, Stalker and Tegan set out, the odds are against them. But the odds have been stacked against Deuce from the moment she was born. She might not be a Huntress anymore, but she doesn't run... -
The Stones of Angkor by Sam Sisavath
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThe war for survival continues. The fight for Song Island is over. Despite suffering losses, Will and his group have claimed the island as their own and achieved the safe haven they’ve longed for since The Purge. Months later, Will makes contact with another group of survivors, and travels to their base in hopes of striking an alliance and gathering much-needed medical supplies... -
Fugitives by Alexander Gordon Smith
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI am no longer trapped in the darkness. But the darkness is still trapped inside me. We did it. We cracked the gates, escaped from Furnace. We're out, but we're not free. Not yet. Now the whole city is in lockdown — the roads sealed, the police scouring every building. And there are worse things here — creatures of unimaginable fury hunting us down. An unholy army, sent by Alfred Furnace himself... -
Dead Fire by Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsDead Fire picks up following an infected attack on Sarah Mansfield’s fortified house, during which 3 people seek shelter with the Zed Zane and his fellow survivors. In the confusion, however, Murphy is gunned down, and an unthinking, emotional Zed strikes out to enact revenge.Unfortunately, the shooting and commotion have only attracted more Whites... -
Maximum Violence by Glynn James, Michael Stephen Fuchs
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn Canterbury, as the virus rages out of control, one troop of Royal Marine Commandos fights a 360-degree battle for survival, racing to rescue the Channel Tunnel survivors from a relentless siege – before Hellfire missile strikes and carpet bombing kill anyone left alive.Across the Atlantic, the crew of the John F... -
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The Ruins Book 2 by T.W. Piperbrook
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWho will survive The Arches?A place of recovery has become a place of death as one survivor's worsening illness puts three in danger... -
The Ruins Book 3 by T.W. Piperbrook
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNew Threats Await in the SouthHaving endured the battle of The Arches, the remaining survivors journey in a new direction, hoping to find salvation... -
Mountain Man: Prequel by Keith C. Blackmore
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAfter a long day of prepping a house for painting, all Gus Berry wanted was the night off, to spend some time with his girlfriend, and relax before having to return to work the next morning. But that isn’t going to happen. Because Gus’s co-worker Benny has found a one-night job at the local Mollymart East, a job that has to be done by morning...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure adult audiobook -
Dark Recollections by Chris Philbrook
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFor the first time, the internet phenomenon is now in print!Beheading a zombie isn't easy in a world where you're more afraid of the living than the dead.Adrian Ring's simple life is thrown into chaos when the world is ripped apart by a plague of undead and legions of desperate survivors... -
The Gates of Byzantium by Sam Sisavath
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMan is no longer at the top of the food chain. The Purge has devastated the globe, turning much of humanity into night-dwelling, bloodthirsty creatures (dubbed “ghouls” by the survivors), while small pockets of remaining humans have managed to carry on. With the loss of their sanctuary, Will and his small band of survivors are forced to seek shelter elsewhere... -
Bits & Pieces by Jonathan Maberry
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBenny Imura’s journey through the Rot & Ruin is well known, but who were the others navigating the ravaged, zombie-ridden landscape? Jonathan Maberry returns to fill the gaps in what we know about First Night, surviving the plague, and the land of Rot & Ruin...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure anthologies audiobook -
Pandemic by Scott Sigler
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe explosive conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with Infected and Contagious.The alien intelligence that unleashed two horrific assaults on humanity has been destroyed. But before it was brought down in flames, it launched one last payload-a tiny soda-can-sized canister filled with germs engineered to wreak new forms of havoc on the human race...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military post-apocalyptic suspense zombies action-adventure adult -
Outpost by Ann Aguirre
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsDeuce’s whole world has changed.Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn't fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance... -
Awakening by John O'Brien
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAwareness grows...The gathering commences....The world has changed. Jack Walker and the other survivors must adjust with it if they are to have a chance. They've managed to stay one step ahead so far but the gap is narrowing. The night runners are growing and adapting. The rules are changing.The deadliest threatsAre those that build unseen..Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia epic literary-fiction military post-apocalyptic suspense zombies -
Karen's First Day by Joseph Zuko
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRaising kids is tough. Keeping them alive as the zombie apocalypse begins is tougher. But that's exactly what stay-at-home mom Karen needs to do: fight fiercely to keep her young daughters safe as her husband Jim battles his way across the city, so they can escape the carnage together... -
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Dead Instinct by T.W. Piperbrook
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan be read as a standalone or companion to the Contamination series...! Don't trust what you eat. Don't trust what you drink. The infection is spreading... In a world plagued with violence and infection, Ken and Roberta Smith want nothing more than to find their son. Having been on the road for four days, they must now cross the remaining three hundred miles of desert wasteland to get to him... -
Aftermath by A.R. Wise
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwenty years have passed since the zombie apocalypse devastated the world. A single man is on a quest of revenge in search of the people responsible for the outbreak of the zombie virus. His quest leads him to a discovery in the western United States that will irrevocably change his goal... -
Siege & Survival by T.W. Brown
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe first winter has come, and with it, new problems. No longer are the zombies the biggest threat to survival. With the global infrastructure gone, people are forced to do whatever it takes to survive...even the unthinkable. Steve faces his toughest decision yet as he tries to lead his people through one nightmare after another... -
Them Early Days - 2nd Prequel by Keith C. Blackmore
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFood. Booze. Weapons. Armor. And any toilet paper he can find.It's been a rough time for Gus Berry. He barely survived the city of Annapolis as its population underwent a violent transformation, leaving everyone he knew or loved either dead or undead.Things aren't much better now, though. In fact, things might have become much worse... -
The Last Refuge by T.W. Piperbrook, Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsNot all ancient secrets are lost. Father Winthrop’s insanity and eloquence turn a rabble of starving militiamen into an army with a new purpose. With the spore eating away at William’s humanity, he finds a new place in the world as the survivors from the Ancient City expeditions discover a remnant of the past that could change everything... -
Survival by T.W. Piperbrook
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEver since leaving the salvage yard, Noah Chambers has been plagued by the infected and hunted by the men who patrol the streets. In order to survive, he’ll need to summon strength he never imagined...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia post-apocalyptic zombies action-adventure audiobook book fiction -
The Last Conquest by T.W. Piperbrook, Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe final book in The Last Survivors series! The Final Battle for Brighton. Winthrop's army is on the move as Jingo and his crew rediscover an ancient secret that might change everyone’s fate. Amidst the chaos, Bray vows to fulfill a promise made in the blood of a dying mother... -
The Last Humanity by T.W. Piperbrook, Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFear reigns in the realm of THE LAST SURVIVORS… With death running through the forest on demons’ feet and humanity bleeding dry in the hearts of men, does the deadliest evil already live within Brighton’s... -
The Last Command by T.W. Piperbrook, Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDeath is inescapable in the wild. Blackthorn’s army marches toward the Ancient City as power struggles ensue in Brighton. Several outcasts gather in the collapsed world of the Ancients... -
Escape by T.W. Piperbrook
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDan and Quinn Lowery may have escaped the initial infection, but their journey is far from over.Their once-safe location has been compromised, overrun by the agents and the infected.Now, in order to survive, they must first escape.. -
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Hellifax by Keith C. Blackmore
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA Red Adept Select – “Voted Outstanding in Genre”A serial killer stalks the ice-glazed streets.Half-frozen deadheads choke the avenues.Infected vermin rise from the labyrinth of sewer systems, hungry for warm flesh.And a handful of survivors struggle to escape and find someplace safe. In his hunt for Tenner, Scott discovers he must contend with all of this, before things truly get worse.Welcome... -
Taken by John O'Brien
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDark clouds gatherA storm is breaking...With the sanctuary built, there is a respite from the nightly night runner assaults. Jack Walker and the group of survivors have bought themselves a little breathing room. Or have they?A peaceful daytime outing turns into yet another nightmare sweeping Robert and Bri up with it. The world has changed. Another danger has emerged... -
Sanctuary by John O'Brien
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsDanger lurks in the shadows...A place where the brave tread warily... Jack Walker has returned from the rescue of his girlfriend with a small band of survivors. Their harrowing journey from the Middle East included a stop at the CDC where they learned vital information about the ferocious new species that hunt at night... -
Beyond Exile by J.L. Bourne, Ronald M. Hahn
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe terrifying sequel to Day by Day Armageddon—for fans of The Walking Dead. "J.L. Bourne is the new king of hardcore zombie action!" (Brad Thor)Armies of undead have risen up across the U.S. and around the globe; there is no safe haven from the diseased corpses hungering for human flesh...Categorized as:
apocalyptic dystopia military post-apocalyptic suspense war zombies action-adventure -
Destroyer by Bobby Adair
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsDestroyer finds Zed saying goodbye to one friend and pressing forward with two new ones to whom we are introduced in Book 2 – Infected. Mandi, whom Zed and Murphy rescued from the bunker, is immune to the virus. Russell, whose home the others plundered in search of food and other supplies, is also a slow burn, but lower-functioning, childlike and docile... -
What Survives of Us by Kathy Miner
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsB.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree and Winner of National Indie Excellence AwardNaomi sees her first corpse in a Colorado Springs grocery store, but it won’t be her last. With devastating speed, a plague sweeps first the city, then the state, then the world, leaving less than 1% of the population to go on...
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